LONG READ Three Ireland players with huge World Cup questions to answer after Paris pummelling

ITV did well to collar Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty for a few words as the second half of his side’s Six Nations mis-match with France was getting underway. “We’ll have to show some fight,” was all Fogarty could offer, on an evening when the Irish scrum was just about the only thing that did not go wrong.

It only took 80 minutes of the 2026 championship for one side to have their title hopes obliterated. And it wasn’t France. For a while, Ireland were on course to suffer the ignominy of their biggest ever Test thumping. When Thomas Ramos deftly played in Louis Bielle-Biarrey for his second try of a raucous Parisian night, France led 29-0 with 31 minutes to play.

Andy Farrell had seen enough. Off came Joe McCarthy, Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier and Tommy O’Brien. Their replacements, and the others that followed, teamed up with the battling Tadhg Beirne, Stuart McCloskey and Caelan Doris to finally punch back. Ireland’s 60-0 loss to New Zealand, in 2012, remains rock bottom but 36-14 to Les Bleus feels just as rough. In reality, France could have won by more if they pressed their advantage home. They released the choke-hold long enough for Ireland to fly home with a modicum of pride.

The 22-point reverse to France all but ends Irish hopes of winning this Six Nations. Farrell will be deeply embarrassed by the manner of his side’s defeat and it will be fascinating to see his next selection, with Italy coming to Dublin for a Valentine’s date. The result means Ireland slip to fifth in the world rankings. It really feels like the maître d’ has approached rugby’s top table and kindly requested that Ireland step away. They had a good run.

On February 22^nd, last year, Ireland weathered a Welsh flurry to stay on course for a second Grand Slam in three years. Farrell was on sabbatical as he plotted the British & Irish Lions’ tour to Australia, and Simon Easterby was the unflappable interim. The former Scarlets and Ireland flanker was finding his name linked to top coaching posts in Wales and Scotland. Sam Prendergast had been named Man of the Match in Edinburgh, two weeks before, and both Tom Clarkson and Ryan Baird were suggesting they were ready to step up as regular starters.

France then came to Aviva Stadium and blew a gaping hole in Ireland’s hull. They bashed, blitzed and bullied Ireland, racing into a 42-13 lead before the hosts nipped a couple of consolation scores. Easterby called it “devastating” while former England star Matt Dawson criticised whoever thought it was wise to announce, in advance, that the game would be the last home outing for the retiring Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray. “It makes my blood boil,” Dawson remarked. “There’s nothing to gain. Why do you want a send-off?”

That 42-27 defeat was Ireland’s first home ‘L’ in four years and it can now clearly be marked as the start of a marked decline. Since then, Ireland have lost to a silver-standard New Zealand side, in Chicago, had their lights put out by South Africa, in Dublin, and fallen heavily to a clever, bristling French side.

Ahead of the Italy match, lots will be written and spoken about Sam Prendergast. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, he is the player readily associated with this rocky period Ireland are enduring.

Former Leinster outhalf Andy Dunne told Off The Ball the coming days are not the time, in Ireland, for supporters to don black shawls as the walk the streets. Dunne insisted Ireland were right in kicking so much possession away and praised the new combination front row for a “courageous” contest against the French pack. Shane Horgan was not so sure. Over on Virgin Media, the retired winger lamented, “Ireland have very few players that, when they get the ball, you think something is going to happen. There’s going to be a bit of magic. France are riddled with those players… Our focus is very much on the system, and, when the system fails, then Ireland are in trouble.”

Ahead of the Italy match, plenty will be written and spoken about Sam Prendergast. Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, he is the player readily associated with this rocky period Ireland are enduring. When he is on song  – going back to that Scotland game, last year, or the record home win over Australia – the garden looks rosy. When he struggles, it is a tough, frustrating watch. No matter where Ireland put him, in Paris, France sniffed him out. Prendergast finished with 20 tackles (13 made, seven missed), three more than the next busiest, in green or blue. There were also instances where he overran carriers to completely miss the party. Late in the piece, he attempted to stand up Lenny Nouchi on his carry into the Irish 22 and was hurtled on a wild ride towards his own tryline.

For me, Prendergast should not start against Italy or England. His attacking potential, right now, is not making up for the sheer, circled-red-by-the-opposition liabilities in defence. We hear that he is great at ‘running the week’ but he is clearly struggling at the actual game part of those weeks. There will be a clamour for Jack Crowley, and one can see the logic. Harry Byrne, though, should be given the chance. He is the only No.10 carrying himself like he should be starting big games, right now.

The biggest concerns in Paris were Joe McCarthy, Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier. Last March, McCarthy got himself yellow-carded against France for a collar tug on Ramos that soon led to their opening try. Andrew Goodman called it “stupid” and no one was arguing. In Paris, with his side already 12-0 down, he blundered in from the side, at a French ruck, and gift-wrapped an easy penalty for his old friend, Ramos. He shelled a pass, back through his own legs, stuck a couple of decent tackles but did little else of note in his 49-minute shift. He is capable of so much more.

Van der Flier will be 34 when the 2027 World Cup rolls around, late next year. Ringrose will be 32. Both men have proved to be fierce, proud competitors, over the course of their fine careers. Right now, though, both must ask themselves serious questions.

Ringrose took until the 78^th minute to realise he is one of Ireland’s most evasive, exciting runners. Up until that point, the game raged around him and all he was good for were tip-on passes and clear-outs. His line break, from inside the Irish 22, accounted for 30 of the 32 metres he gained off a paltry three carries. In defence, he made two tackles and missed four. Back in 2008, Brian O’Driscoll went to performance coach Enda McNulty and was advised to look back at old video-tapes of himself to rediscover his attacking mojo. If someone could compile a few highlight reels to jolt Ringrose back to attacking life, it would be appreciated.

As for van der Flier, the fear must be that he is on an irreversible regression. After a purple patch that stretched between the Lions tours of 2021 and 2025, the openside is struggling to reach old heights. He can still turn heads in Leinster blue/navy, but he has not proved Farrell wrong since, on that latest Lions tour, he opted for Tom Curry in the Test Series against Australia, with Jac Morgan backing up.

Van der Flier will be 34 when the 2027 World Cup rolls around, late next year. Ringrose will be 32. Both men have proved to be fierce, proud competitors, over the course of their fine careers. Right now, though, both must ask themselves serious questions. Do they want to be at the next World Cup? Have they got what it takes to find another level to get there?

Looking ahead to the Italy game, Farrell will be tempted to make seven or eight changes. Ultimately, expect it to be around five. He is fond of challenging his senior players to go back out and restore pride. The wrinkle, this year, is the lack of that second rest week. England follow, at Twickenham, and asking some players to go back-to-back-to-back may compound Irish misery.

Nick Timoney deserves a start and Jacob Stockdale should get another run on the left wing. Finding room for Edwin Edogbo and Jude Postlethwaite in the match-day 23 would be nice. Tom Stewart, too. Tadhg Furlong and Cormac Izuchukwu may also press for consideration. Getting minutes into both of them would be wise, as they will be needed in London. Finally, as much as Farrell likes having a strong core to finish games, find a place in the starting Irish back row for Jack Conan.